Medicinal inhaler



l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. SNYDER, OF PHILADELPHIA PENNSYLVANIA.

MEDICINAL INHALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part-of Letters Patent No. 249,553, dated November 15, 1881,

7 Application filed July 7,1881. (ModeL) i receptacles with valves to regulate and govern.

the amountof vapor given oft; further, in making said receptacles removable for cleaning; further, in i-nclosing said inhaler within a pillow-slip; and, finally, in many details of construction, all of which are more fully set forth in the following specification, and shown in theaccompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of this invention is to construct an inhaler for medicinal purposes for use in cases of consumption, bronchitis, asthma, catarrh, and throat diseases, said inhaler to be adapted to be spread upon a pillow or upon a sofa, and upon which the patient lays his head during sleep, or when resting, and while in this position of ease inhales thevapors arising from the inhaler-pad. r

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved medicinal inhaler with the slip removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of same on the line a; m with the slip on.

A is the pad or pillow, and consists of a rectangular or other shaped bag stuffed with hair, cotton, or equivalent substance, and is provided at each end with a hole, B, into which the medicine receptacle is placed. A cupshaped piece, 0, having a hole, 0, in the bottom and a wide flange at the top, is sewed or otherwise secured to the pad A, the body of the cup 0 projecting into the hole or aperture B. The aperture or hole 0 in the piece Q is provided with a valve, D, which is pivoted at d, is provided with a projecting knob or handle,

c1, and is kept in place by aband or strap of metal, E, secured to the cup-shaped piece. A glass vessel, G, to contain the medicine, is placed in said piece 0, having its mouth registering with the hole 0. Thisreceptacleis round when looking down upon it, but oval or elliptical in elevation, as shown in Fig. 2, and may be made of any material impervious to moisture; but I prefer glass. In practice, a piece of flannel or other absorbent material, H, is placed in the receptacle G, but this is not necessary to my invention. Any shape desired may be given to the medicine-receptacles without departing from my invention. The vessel G is kept in position in cup-shaped piece 0 by a-cap or cover, I, which may be adapted to hold itself in place by simple friction, or may be hinged or otherwise secured in place. Ifdesired, that part of the hole B above the receptacle may be closed and provided with small apertures. As shown, there are two medicinereceptacles, one at each end of the pillow or pad, so that the patients head may lie between them and the emission of vapor be insured, no matter to which side his face he turned. However, I do not limit myself to any particular number of these receptacles when arranged around the pad or pillow upon which the patient lays his head.

The inhaler may be used with or without a slip or cover, I.

Various forms of valves may be used; hence I do not limit'rnyself to the particular con ,struction shown.

In using the pillow-inhaler the receptacles G are supplied with a small quantity of the medicine, and the inhaler is then placed upon the bed or sofa and the head laid upon it. The valves D are opened to any degree desired, and while sleeping or resting the ascending vapor is unconsciously inhaled. By using such an inhaler no time is lost, and the medication of the lungs and air-passages generally is effected without the-least tediousness, and the high padded walls to the hole above the receptacle prevent the face reaching the hard reser- VOIIS.

I Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A medicinal inhaler consisting of a pillow or pad provided near one or more of its extremities or edges with an independent receptacle to contain and carry medicine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A medicinal inhaler consisting of a pillow or pad provided near one or more of its edges with independentreceptaclcs to contain IO flange, in combination with a valve, D, a flattened receptacle or reservoir, G, and a, cap or cover, E, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

JOSE PH W. SNYDER.

' Witnesses:

LIs E S'roKEs, R. A. GAVIN. 

